Servant Boy
by Demitria Miriam
Summary: In a world where youkai are considered less than human, and kept as servants to the royal families, Sesshomaru does the unthinkable and falls in love with his lord and master, Inuyasha. seme!Sess x uke!Inu . AU/AR.
1. Prologue

Title: Servant Boy  
Author: Demitria Miriam  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Sesshomaru x Inuyasha  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and make no money off this piece of fiction.

Summary: In a world where youkai are considered less than human, and kept as servants to the royal families, Sesshomaru does the unthinkable and falls in love with his lord and master, Inuyasha. (seme!Sess x uke!Inu)

* * *

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

The Age of Youkai had been well since over for more than a millennia. Such beings had once been revered as gods; ethereal, divine, frightening creatures possessing unearthly powers that could do anything from make the wind blow coolly against the waters edge to summoning up a vicious tsunami that devastated half the continent. These... _creatures_ could not be allowed to roam free at their own discretion. Their powers, those spells they held within their bodies surely had to have been cursed on them by the Great Kami's enemy. That was the only feasible reasoning peasants and royalty of the ningen clans across the island could come up with, because, surely, Kami-sama would not bestow such terrifying, godly powers upon such lowly scabs of existence.

And naturally, after many, many years of consideration and careful planning the humans finally found a way to suppress the powers of such ominous, evil beings.

Though, it is to be said that this was no easy task, especially considering the short span of a human's life to that of a demon's. In all reality it was a conspiracy, held within bloodlines, hidden within the royal families of ningens for generations until the right time came, where it was to be written in historical scrolls later in life, of how the Age of Youkai ended, and the Age of Feudal Japan began.

It came to that time, several centuries later when the plan was established and found to be foolproof; ready to be used at the drop of a gaze.

Over the decades, beings that could rival that of a demon's youki emerged, slowly, yet surely. This discovery wasn't realized right away, however, but as the years progressed these gifted entities which had been bestowed upon earth by Kami-sama found their calling.

And that calling was in the destruction of all evil that resided within the world. These few but powerful people were called mikos, selected beings holding pure, heavenly powers, even said to have been the descendants of the gods themselves. With their powers of purity they were able to subdue the demonic aura of all youkai. And instead of killing them off to ensure none of their kind caused turmoil in the world again, they were kept as slaves to the wealthy human families around the Continent.

However, where demons were considered impure, dirty and all around evil incarnated, a new race, the Hanyous, would be seen as gods that walked upon the earth. Not only would these miraculous beings hold the powers of youkai, but also the spiritual powers of a human. While the mere thought of a coupling between a demon and human was looked down upon, the creation that would grow inside the female's body was what mattered. Hanyous, as they would later be called, would be the Children of the Future, the ones that would bring harmony and peace to the warring states era they were currently living in.

And one child in particular would be especially valued. His name was to be Inuyasha, son of Lady Izayoi, soon-to-be heir to his mother's fortune and title as Ruler of the West.

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Author's Note: Nyahh! I thought I had posted this here at FF. Or maybe it got deleted when I AWOL'd a while ago... dunno. But in any case, I hope you enjoy it! I'm slowly though surely figuring out a path for it!


	2. The Age of Hanyou

**Chapter 2: The Age of Hanyou**

The young master had been born on a relatively clear night, the moon high above the castle, shining good fortune on the soon to be complicated birth of the heir of the Western Lands.

Lady Izayoi, the current ruler of the domain, had been in labor for nearly twelve hours. It would a miracle if the infant was born by late evening. After all, carrying the child of a _demonic creature_ was a hardship all in its own. But this child... this was her child, too. And regardless if this baby was unplanned and conceived from an unfortunate, horrible event, she would keep him, love him and raise him the same as she would had this been done out of love... and not... not because of a stupid, _foolish_ mistake.

Her human blood, as selfish and prideful as it was, would not give this child up, no matter what. She was sure that this baby would be powerful, she could feel it. Not only would he or she have the spiritual powers her clan had passed down to her, but also the mysterious ones acquired from the father, a nameless dog demon as far as she was concerned.

Her baby, her soon to be heir, was a half breed, or rather, a hanyou, a half demon, as Izayoi had decided to call it; the name itself was foreign to everyone else but herself. After all this child was neither ningen nor youkai, a being that had a place in both worlds, yet such a birth had never been heard of up until this point, and therefore required a new word of its own to be known by.

A hanyou. A child of mixed blood.

It had been said in ancient lore, as well as recorded in the scrolls of their history, that human females never made it through the pregnancy of carrying the child of a demon. There were stories where the child would claw out of its mother's belly at only a month into the gestation period, where she would bleed from such a grievance wound and perish in her own blood. Or where the child wouldn't eat the human food its mother provided for it and instead turned on itself, or the innards of its warm, fleshy vessel, effectively killing both child and mother.

It was unheard of.

It was a thing of nightmares and sometimes irrational fear.

It was the superstition of mankind that had continued the heated and untrusting relationship between human and demon, this Izayoi believed. However, she could not condemn such ways of thinking because she too had held such fear in her mind. But now... now she held understanding in her heart, as well as caution, and all because of the young one that had been growing inside of her steadily, healthily, for the past eight and a half months.

Though she held hope far above her fear of what society was to think when her child was born because it had been prophesized by her family many, many generations ago that something like this would happen. It had read that, 'From an unfortunate event there will be fortune in the form of a child prodigy. A child unlike any other born before.'

This child, her child, would bring on the Age of Hanyou, a new race to the world, a new specie that was never given a chance in the world before now.

A being that was to be revered as a god among mankind, walking about freely on earth in a humanoid form, a being that was to be called a hanyou.

* * *

Five years had past since the birth of the young master of the House of the West. Five years had come and gone like the wind's wistful breeze, and now the boy was held in the highest regard by not only the West but by the other regions of the Continent as well.

It was the story of miracles, a child that was conceived by a human and demon joining. Not only would the child become proficient in his ruling of the human domain, he would be able to defend his country with his demonic powers, terrifying all around with the threat of a gods wrath.

This god, this child prodigy was named Inuyasha. Five summers old and he was already high spirited, curious and loyal. Since his birth the entire court had fallen in love with him, as had the wait staff been charmed by his mysterious spell.

Though Inuyasha quickly became somewhat of a problem child. His nannies and guards would go dismissed by the young lord as the hanyou sought other, more interesting playmates. Though when he couldn't find any he would look for other ways to entertain himself, usually ending up with destroying the kitchen or sending all the maids flying in many directions when entering the laundry room.

Izayoi came to the conclusion that her son apparently wanted someone around his age to indulge in, not someone that told him what he had to do, what he couldn't do and, no, Inuyasha, that's not the proper way you should act. No, what he needed was a child friend, someone he could get into trouble with... Izayoi wasn't very fond of the idea but wanted her son to be happy, and if the destruction of her castle was that something then so be it.

The search for the perfect companion for Inuyasha began with the children of the Council members. However, every single one of those children had been rejected by the young prince if the rash, slew of blubbering and fits was anything to go by.

Slightly perturbed by this, Izayoi tried a last resort, and reached out to the youths among the servants of the castle.

They, too, had been rejected, save for one young boy by the name of Sesshomaru.

* * *

Author's Note: Dummmdadadum. Yes, so Inuyasha was the first ever 'half demon' to be successfully born, thus being the one that brought on the Age of Hanyou, the word 'hanyou' being created for the human tongue just _because_ of his birth. Well, sorta o.O lol. And, oh my... the servant is... Sesshomaru?


	3. Wrongly Accused

**Chapter 3: Wrongly Accused**

The Chosen, as the servants had dubbed the one the young master had chosen as his playmate, was called Sesshomaru, a young dog demon who had yet to begin his training into servitude in the Western Domain's main House.

The boy himself was rather small for his age of ten years, looking more around Inuyasha's age, with white hair that hung softly to his shoulders, majestic strips of magenta caressing either cheek with a cordial crescent moon adorning the center of his forehead and eyes that mirrored the sun's radiance. He was most assuredly the most beautiful out of the servants' children (or any child born into the Court aside from Inuyasha himself).

However, regardless of such a trivial thing, everyone was delighted that the prince found someone whose company he enjoyed. Indeed, while less maids fled the areas the boys would wander into (though there were definitely a few left flying about), there was still no getting around the childish glee it seemed to give them when they were mischievous and in to all sorts of trouble.

Most supposed it was their way of bonding, for no other child in the castle, born into servitude or otherwise, would dare to be so cunning as to cause the Court turmoil in the middle of a gathering, or the mysterious flooding of the gardens which sent all of the flower tamers into a spree of colorful phrases. Perhaps the minor fact that Sesshomaru let the little prince wreck havoc upon the castle, and even joined in, was what made Inuyasha choose the older boy as his playmate and best friend.

Though none knew what the future would bring... None knew the fierce passion both would have to hide from the world, and, more importantly, from each other.

* * *

It was hard to believe, but five years had already past since Inuyasha had chosen his little friend. Five years was how long Izayoi had to listen to the whispers that floated throughout the palace walls. Not just from the noblemen and women, but the servants as well were joining in on the rumors and assumptions. The hushed voices spoke of an odd relationship between her son and that 'playmate' of his... it was almost as if they were a little girl and boy in what was dubbed as puppy love.

Inuyasha was almost eleven, coming close to the majority period for human children, where they would finally prepare themselves for the world of adulthood. It was a time where Inuyasha would be taught the ways of a Lord, to one day take his place next to his mother as the sole heir to her throne. It was a time where he would be prepared to find a wife, whom he could settle down alongside one day and have many children with. Though... as things stood, she wasn't sure if that were possible. Not with _him_ in the way.

Inuyasha had been adamant that he and his friend, Sesshomaru, would never part, would always be at each others side, even going as far as letting the whole Court (in the middle of an important meeting) that he would "one day be Sesshomaru's bride!"

Needless to say, at the time the hanyou was only seven years of age, but that didn't help dissolve the alarmed, disgusted looks the Elders of the Court shot Inuyasha and his friend, nor Izayoi's immense embarrassment and anger at such an outburst.

Her child? With another boy? A filthy demon no less? The thought alone enraged her for many reasons, none of which, had she really thought about it, had anything to do with her son or his friend, nor the Court of Elders or what others thought...

In her anger, however, Izayoi's heart felt heavy at the thought of her son's smiling face turning completely stoic. She knew that if she took his friend away from him that his spirit would crumble, she knew this... And despite her distaste, she bit her tongue at the subject, allowing Inuyasha's happiness to be her main concern.

However, a month later was when it happened. A month later was when she came to her horrible decision, regardless of the pain it might cause all parties...

A month later was when she had been searching for Inuyasha, wondering why he hadn't shown up for dinner, when she found him in the more secluded part of the gardens that he had always loved to visit... laying on his back, eyes closed, with Sesshomaru hovering over him, the demon's small, fifteen year old claw slowly worrying Inuyasha's haori off a small shoulder.

Izayoi had screamed, the guards had come rushing to her assistance and had all but slammed Sesshomaru away from the young prince and into the ground nearby, a chocking cry sounding from his throat in surprise.

Without thinking, Izayoi had ordered his immediate termination, exiling him to the dungeons until she decided upon the best course of action. Once he was gone her fury left her and her concern came to the forefront. Rushing to Inuyasha's side, she quickly looked to the healer that had shown up only moments before.

"My Lady, he's unconscious and wounded," the old healer informed her calmly.

That little beast! He'd done something to her son! He would pay dearly for this, if not with his blood then a lifetime of humiliation would have to do!

Sadly, only later, after she had had Sesshomaru whipped twenty times and imprisoned in the dungeons until she decided upon his fate, did she find out from the healer that there had been a witness to her son's incident.

From his post, one of the guards had seen what had happened between the boys. Both the young prince and the servant had been playing in a tree when Inuyasha had fallen off one of the higher branches, plummeting to the earth and upon his impact, had lost consciousness.

The guard had run over to the scene, approaching the pair cautiously, worried himself for the young prince's safety. The servant, Sesshomaru, had panicked when his friend fell, jumping down and kneeling next to him, not allowing the guard too close, saying he'd only allow the Lady near Inuyasha as he continued to hold up a defensive claw toward the man should he not heed the young demon's warning.

The hanyou had then moaned in his unconsciousness, capturing the attention of both the guard and his friend, as his hand moved up his chest, trying to claw at his right shoulder, pushing at it until red seeped through. Sesshomaru's eyes had widened before yelling that they needed a healer.

The guard had taken off as Sesshomaru tried rousing the hanyou with soft, worried words, asking what was wrong as he removed one side of his friend's haori, finding the blunt edge of a loose root stabbing through his right shoulder. The young youkai then did the only thing he could think of to stop the bleeding, and leaned over, licking the wound as he would his own.

That was when the Lady had screamed from behind and guards had come flying out of nowhere, throwing Sesshomaru a few feet away from his friend, startling him.

Having been told this... did not change anything in Izayoi's mind. She felt immense regret for assuming, yet her foolish human pride would not allow her to forgive herself and apologize to the little demon. He was a threat after all... and a threat that she couldn't simply put to death, for it would hurt Inuyasha even more if he ever found out...

The conclusion in the end was to start the demon's training into servitude. It was high time he learned his place. And that was _beneath_ the Royal family, not apart of it.

Little did Izayoi predict that one day, years from now, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would be reunited and feelings that were not there in the beginning would bloom, and all because of her foolish mistake.

Only then would she regret not sentencing the youkai to death the first time around.

* * *

Author's Note: Ooo. Here are two things to look forward to for the next chapter:

-After 7 years, the boys are finally reunited.  
-It's always kind of awkward when you meet old faces... and then have their bodies rubbing up against yours...


	4. The Servant Boy

**Chapter 4: The Servant Boy**

He was fifty now, just past his majority, and already extremely irritated with all the obligations that came along with being a Lord-in-training. His mother, having bared the child of a youkai, as they had found thus far, had been able to retain her youth, her life in longevity so she could care for her offspring longer. However, there would be a time when she would step aside for him to become the Lord of the house, a time he wasn't exactly looking forward to.

Inuyasha sighed, rather bored already with today's lesson in Land and Property. Who cared about that stuff anyway? Well, granted, he'd HAVE to care about it when he took the title of Lord of the West, but still... this lesson, never mind the sensei's lecturing _method_, would put even rocks to sleep.

Inuyasha grumbled, rubbing his chin as if in deep, contemplative thought at what his sensei was currently going over, when, really, he was only itching it and thinking up ways to escape. Maybe he could feign a stomach ache? Possibly a scalding need to use the little demon's washroom?

Suddenly Inuyasha's stomach gurgled something mighty agonizing. The hanyou instantly blushed a deep crimson which was a flattering contrast to the midnight blue color of his outfit.

A mumbled cough came from the direction of the boring sensei. Biting his lip in apology, Inuyasha's guilty expression slowly made its way toward the front of the room.

"My Lord?" the old man rose a concerned brow. Inuyasha made an inaudible whine that sounded similar to a 'yes?' He sighed, having already known for a while that his lord's attention on the lesson had waned. "My Lord, we will stop here for today."

Inuyasha could have hugged the man. "Oh, alright. Tomorrow, same time then?" he tried to say as formally as he could.

"Yes, my Lord."

Inuyasha could barely contain himself. _YES! Food, food, food!_ the hanyou chanted happily inside his head.

And with that he hightailed it out of there and sped down the weaving corridors, making a beeline for the kitchens. If he were fast enough, maybe he'd be able to grab a good amount of food to satisfy his insatiable appetite until the evening meal (not to mention avoid getting bludgeoned with large spoons and cutting boards by the staff).

Ah ha! He was right before he even thought of it!

Hmm, it seems like the staff apparently didn't come in for another few minutes and the area was safe for his usual foraging expedition. The hanyou slowed his pace and took his time walking around the large room, picking up a basket and putting a little of this and a little of that, and oh, a lot of that, into what he liked to call his "Panic Box." He called it that because by the time he would go for the imported sweets that were always poorly stashed, the staff would come in and start yelling and throwing things that would only miss him as he zipped around them easily, almost taking the time to dance his "haha" dance as he stole a fourth of the food they had been working on preparing for the noon meal.

It was odd, but Inuyasha only found that the kitchen staff treated him like a common person (regardless if it happened to be as a "common thief"), unlike the rest of the castle and people of the lands, who would bend to his every wish. For whatever reason, this fact was why he took the time to STEAL from what was rightfully, by title and birth, his kitchen, his servants and his food. He felt an odd sort of companionship with these people.

"Inuyasha!" a woman battle cried his name. She hurled a broom in his direction, knowing that it would miss him, but couldn't seem to pass up the chance to vent her frustrations with his constant thieving of her kitchens!

"Wait until we tell your mother of this unsightly behavior! Ooh, you'll be in trouble then, boy!" another woman crowed.

Inuyasha laughed at their toothless threats. It really was endearing.

"Haha! Nice to see you, too, Ran-baachan!" And with that Inuyasha made his great escape out into the gardens, taking a roundabout way to his rooms, just in case the old women of the kitchens decided to run after him in vain.

The half-human had a good chuckle over the old women's tantrums as he made his way through an open window to his room. As he stepped in he noticed four figures inside freeze in place and then bow.

"Oh, I didn't realize you guys would be cleaning... sorry if I scared ya," Inuyasha apologized to the servants, surveying the room for any others that may have had a heart attack. Though since most of the servants in the castle were demons he highly doubted he did take them by surprise. They had incredible, if not monstrous, senses that Inuyasha could only imagine, so of course they'd have realized he was coming to his room when he had passed through the gardens, or at least realized he was heading in this general direction.

Inuyasha went to his newly made bed and sat on it carefully, laying his panic box next to his crossed legs and grabbing some food out to munch on. One of the younger servants, a fox kit, snorted, knowing Inuyasha's habit of stealing food from his own kitchens, and was abruptly scolded by the older bat youkai that seemed to be the... sensei of the group.

The dynamics his mother set up for the demon servants was sort of odd, though he did understand the logistics of it somewhat. There were a total of 5 demon servants to a group, one of them being the supervisor, and one human trainer.

The supervising demon would have had to have worked in the palace for some time, more than likely being the oldest in the bunch, and would thus have an extensive knowledge of the castle's layout, proper etiquette and above all else, know the rules of the House. So naturally the supervising youkai would instruct the younger ones what to do, how to act, et cetera.

The human trainer was there in case any one of the youkai got out of hand; these humans were usually of the lowest class, or had debts to pay to the Family. While the demon supervisor would train his young youkai wards with physical restraint if they got out of line, the human trainer would use the Kotodama, or rather, the Beads of Subjugation. The beads had been invented during the reign of demons. It was a nasty process but in time the ningen had figured out that those skilled few with spiritual power could bless objects, in this case, a necklace or bracelet of beads, in order to subdue a demon's youki. This was over a century ago, and the beginning of The Age of Ningen, a couple of decades before The Age of Hanyou.

In any case, whether it be physical restraint or the Kotodama, neither was a favorite of any demon.

However, it seemed there were two people missing from this group, the Trainer and another demon... Everyone else seemed to be accounted for; three youkai wards and the supervising demon were present…in fact, the small fox kit was snorting at Inuyasha and his antics of stealing his own stash of food.

The supervising demon quickly scolded the youngling with a harsh growl.

Inuyasha laughed, trying to lighten the mood and let the Supervisor know there was no ill will on the kit's part. "It's okay, Maku; let the kit laugh. I did when I whizzed through the kitchens and tore into Ran-baachan's pantry, haha."

The kit's ears twitched at the Lord defending him which pleased the half-demon. However, a moment later an uncomfortable silence fell upon all of them in the room as the servants just stayed in place while Inuyasha continued munching on his food awkwardly.

Oh. He had forgotten that the demon servants rarely continued on with their duties unless told to...

"Erm... continue?" And they did.

Watching as they worked and went about their daily routines, Inuyasha couldn't help but think that he really had no problem with youkai. He actually found them very interesting and had befriended many, much to his mother's dismay.

That was usually his goal though; annoying his mother with his pleasantries. She was an amazing woman and a great ruler, but she really needed to relax a little and get to know the servants of the castle. While they may look a little different, have insane supernatural powers and had the ability to crush a person's bones to dust, they were still somewhat human. Inuyasha could tell. They all had feelings, regardless if some were more hate filled than others.

But in any case, if the demons ever decided they'd had enough of being servants to humans and revolted there wouldn't be enough humans to use the Kotodama on. Many would die before one would be put in his place...

A knock sounded at the sliding door and Inuyasha called for whoever it was to enter. A human and a demon walked in. The human he recognized as the Trainer, Ranan, but the young demon wasn't familiar to him at all. They had come into the room with laundry, moving swiftly to put it away.

A few minutes passed as Inuyasha curiously watched all the servants work, but something kept drawing his attention back to the younger male demon that he didn't recognize. It was almost as if he knew him... yet...

Inuyasha cleared his throat of some stray bread crumbs and every single person in the room froze. And bowed.

_Ugh_, Inuyasha thought. This would become tedious soon.

"Sorry, continue."

And they did. And that stranger-servant still bugged him...

Inuyasha sat up and looked over to the new demon. He took in everything about him. Long white hair that had been pulled back into a top knot, the preferred hairstyle for servants with long hair. Berry colored stripes on his wrists and cheeks. Pale, moonlight skin. Lightly wine colored lips. A deep burgundy colored crescent on his forehead...

Inuyasha exhaled, taken aback by the beauty of this... boy...

And then, as if the demon knew he was being watched, he did the unthinkable and met Inuyasha's eyes.

Gold.

His eyes were the exact same as Inuyasha's.

The next moment multiple things happened all at once. A prickling sensation filtered through the air catching all the other servants' attentions. When they looked to see what it was their eyes widened at what they saw, horrified. Inuyasha didn't quite understand what was going on but by the looks his servants made at the gold-eyed demon he'd venture to guess it was the young demon's youki. It felt like a thousand tons of water crushing on top of him; it was hard to breathe, let alone maintain consciousness. Good thing he was sitting on his bed still otherwise he'd have collapsed from the sheer force of it all.

The Supervisor moved with speed that far surpassed Inuyasha's and backhanded the younger gold-eyed youkai, breaking the eye contact between servant and master.

Inuyasha was in shock. What the _hell_ had just happened?

A growl came from the white-haired demon that was now on the ground holding his face in a clawed hand. However, it quickly dissipated at the look that he was given by both the Supervisor and the Trainer.

"My Lord, my apologies for how he has acted! We thought he was ready to serve within the household but we were clearly wrong to allow him to step foot in-" the Trainer began, the Supervisor, Maku, nodding fiercely beside him.

The hanyou got up from where he had been sitting, walking slowly over to the group of servants. He paused and blinked once before-

"Leave," was all Inuyasha said, his eyes trained on the pale demon on the floor before him. With perfect hair and perfect skin and perfect eyes and-

"M-My Lord?" the Trainer, Ranan, stammered, bowing.

"I want all of you out of here," Inuyasha said with finality. They all bowed and moved to leave the room. "Everyone except you."

Everyone froze and turned to see who their lord was referring to.

Inuyasha's eyes were trained on the gold-eyed servant.

"But my Lord-" Maku tried again.

"LEAVE!" Inuyasha demanded, making the servants cringe involuntarily. The unwanted bowed, and all but that one left the room.

Inuyasha calmed himself for a few moments before looking back at the demon on the ground who was staring at the floor, his bangs covering his eyes and any expression his face might have held.

What was it about this demon that held his interest so? Why did that long white hair and those pale limbs nag at the back of his mind? Why were those berry colored markings and wine colored lips imprinted on his brain, as if he'd seen them bef-

Inuyasha stopped in mid-thought. Blinking once he made a move toward his closet, walking inside and unhinging a floorboard there, taking out an old box. He set the box down, slowly opening it and looking for that which he sought. At the very bottom of the box he found a piece of parchment with an ink drawing on it of two boys, one with ears and another with stripes and a moon on his face. The names Inuyasha and Sessru were printed in kanji in the corner.

Inuyasha dropped the box, picture still firmly in his grasp as his eyes widened. Slowly getting to his feet he walked back into his room in a daze, only stopping when he was directly in front of the demon hunched over on the floor.

A moment passed before the demon made a sound. "My lord?"

Inuyasha tried to shake his head clear of the thoughts that were running rampant through his usually carefree mind and blinked a few more times before a slow, wondrous smile etched across his face.

"S...? Sesshomaru?" But no response came... though it could also have had something to do with the fact that Inuyasha wasn't really saying the words as much as thinking them. Then suddenly that old nickname came to his head and his mouth was moving on its own. "Sess...ru?"

The youkai's head abruptly snapped up to look at him, eyes slightly wide in surprise at the name, before quickly snapping back down to look dully at the floor awaiting any instruction the lord may have for him.

"Oh kami! It is you! Sesshomaru! It's me! It's Inuyasha! I mean, geez, I know we haven't seen each other in a long time but surely you recogni-"

"Can I get you anything, my lord?"

At that statement Inuyasha was taken aback, and hurt that his friend didn't seem to recognize him, or at least wouldn't call him by his name. The hanyou's brows furrowed in stubbornness.

"Sesshomaru-" Inuyasha said again, getting on his own knees and grabbing the youkai's shoulders.

"My lord, I do not mean to be out of line but I have other duties I need to fulfill," Sesshomaru said in a very monotone voice.

Inuyasha's hackles rose, his frustration getting the best of him as he stood up, pulling Sesshomaru with him.

"My Lord!" Sesshomaru said, surprised.

"Don't call me that! Sesshomaru! We used to play every day together! We used to get in so much trouble when we ran around and trampled about in the gardens! Don't you remember me?"

"My-" at Inuyasha's harsh glare Sesshomaru paused. "I... cannot speak so familiarly with or about you. You are my lord, you have been and always will be until I die," came what sounded more like a recited speech or "code for demons" than anything else.

"That's shit!" Inuyasha yelled, his infamous temper flaring. "We used to wrestle and play hide and seek and- and I thought of you like my best friend, my brother even! How can you be so casual about it, like it didn't even happen!"

"I am youkai. You are hanyou. Our roles, our lives and our destinies are vastly different. There... can be nothing more." Though this seemed to be said more to himself than to Inuyasha.

"And companionship means nothing to you!" Inuyasha's anger finally got the best of him. Growling, he pushed Sesshomaru backwards, throwing him onto the bed fiercely.

At that point the servant had a very angry looking master climbing on top of him.

* * *

_Chapter end._


	5. A Youkai's Codec

**Chapter 5: A Youkai's Codec**

_Sesshomaru's POV_

He had managed to control the insane urge he had to not set eyes on Him when he walked into the room behind his Trainer, Ranan-san. He had successfully kept his breathing even when he heard Him speak, too.

But it seemed that Sesshomaru's other senses would not ignore Him.

When He spoke, when He moved about... Sesshomaru felt it, to his very core and could not contain the tremble that rippled through his soul, rattling his bones and everything he had been taught until this point. He had to remember what he had been taught; that was a fundamental, inescapable rule within the House.

It was insurmountable, the codec; it was a youaki's blood vow of servitude and a human's imprint in history of their superior reign over society. Because of this, he knew, as a servant to the House, that he was obligated to follow all protocol.

And yet...

He had grown up with the one he was to call "Master." He had come to know the child as "Inuyasha" and not as a dictator or king of any kind. Yet he was to call him and see Him as such. He was not to use formalities with Him like he use to all those decades ago. He was only a servant after all, and no longer a confidant, let alone a friend.

But He was so close to him now... after all the years he had spent exiled to a camp in the mountains where demons were sent to train to become the best servants they could... he was here again, in this castle, near Him.

And then His presence overwhelmed all rules and etiquette and he couldn't help but do it... he could feel His focus paying special attention to him. And their eyes had met; he had almost come undone at the sight of Him.

He had been punished of course, it was only to be expected, but it didn't stifle the growl at the physical blow he had received. The only thing that did, however, was the reprimanding looks he had received from his horrific actions, not to mention the fact that he had acted out in such a foul manner, debasing his 'Master' in such a way.

But that didn't seem to matter to Him. He had ordered everyone but him out of the quarters almost immediately. At first he thought that he'd be beaten... His lord didn't seem to recognize him after all...

But nothing happened until He came screeching back from within His closet and said his name.

"Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru had frozen. The way He had said his name...

"Sess...ru?"

The shock intensified, his nerves and senses so startled by that nickname from when he was only a pup, so much so that he flung his head up, eyes slightly wide in his surprise. One glimpse of Him and he dropped his head.

His beauty was even more stunning now that He was older.

"Sesshomaru! It's me! It's Inuyasha!"

He knew who He was... Inuyasha... It seemed like yesterday, yet so long ago in reality.

What was he thinking! Inuyasha was his lord and master now, not his friend. Things could not be the same as they used to be.

"Can I get you anything, my lord?"

A stifling silence enfolded around them for a moment.

"Sesshomaru, what-"

"My lord, I do not mean to be out of line but I have other duties I need to fulfill." He had to get out of here. He wasn't ready for this... to be alone with him again. If he was lucky he wouldn't be whipped for his insolence by his Trainer, only severely scolded.

Suddenly Sesshomaru was yanked up from his kneeling position and, startled, automatically yelling out.

"Don't call me that!" Inuyasha scolded. "Sesshomaru! We used to play every day together! We used to get in so much trouble when we ran around and trampled about in the gardens! Don't you remember me?"

He could have never forgotten Inuyasha... never, but he had to forget how they used to behave together... that must never surface... nor the feelings he harbored.

"I... cannot speak so familiarly with or about you. You are my lord, you have been and always will be until I die," came what sounded more like a recited speech or "code for demons" than anything else.

"That's shit!" Inuyasha yelled, his infamous temper flaring. "We used to wrestle and play hide and seek and- and I thought of you like my best friend, my brother even! How can you be so casual about it, like it didn't even happen!"

"I am youkai. You are hanyou. Our roles, our lives and our destinies are vastly different. There... can be nothing more," Sesshomaru recited dejectedly.

"And companionship means nothing to you!" Inuyasha's anger finally got the best of him. Growling, he pushed Sesshomaru backwards, throwing him onto the bed fiercely.

Inuyasha pinned the startled youkai's wrists to the bedding.

_Companionship? I was,... speaking of something entirely different..._ Had it been in his genes, Sesshomaru would have colored at his realization.

"Com'on! We may be past our majority but we can still hang out like we used to! Like when we wrestled! I'm older now and stronger so I'll definitely beat you!"

Inuyasha commenced with mock wrestling upon the bed trying to get his old friend to play back but to no avail. When Sesshomaru made no move to push back it only fueled the hanyou's resolution to make the demon remember him. He pushed and clawed (carefully) at the taller male's prone body, trying to grapple him into play fight.

Gods but Inuyasha had no idea what he was doing to him... The warmth his body pressing against his had confusing repercussions on Sesshomaru's body; not only did he enjoy it but he wanted to "wrestle" Inuyasha back in a manner that was highly inappropriate for either of their stations to engage in, especially together.

But that heat... the tight ache that seemed to be consuming his entire being... it was very hard to ignore... and with Inuyasha's body so close...

Sesshomaru didn't think of the punishment he would surely receive at all when he used his superior powers and switched their positions so that Inuyasha was beneath him, his own claws easily pinning the hanyou's above his head, his nose moving to scent the half-demon's neck, rubbing his cheek against the thick, hot column of flesh there... Gods, even his scent smelled divine.

He wasn't the only one that was enjoying the contact, however. He didn't miss the hitch in his lord's breath, the coloring his face took on, nor how his eyes fluttered shut and how his throat bobbed up, and it excited him.

_So submissive..._

Sesshomaru's hand moved to touch the soft skin of Inuyasha's cheek

However when Inuyasha's breath hitched unexpectedly Sesshomaru came to his senses and pushed himself off and away from his old friend and always master.

Inuyasha sat up, eyes blinking rapidly, unsure of what exactly had just taken place.

"Wh-?"

"My apologies, I was out of line." With that said Sesshomaru pushed himself backwards, bowing lowly, eyes trained intensely on the floor. He'd felt... embarrassed. An emotion that rarely surfaced, and in his mindless embarrassment he had nearly walked right out the door spouting apologies and just wanting to get as far away as possible. He had thankfully, however, caught himself, and instead found himself bowing in defeat, uncertain of yet anticipating his sure punishment for such a blatant show of disrespect.

* * *

_Chapter end.  
_  
Author's Note: Whoa. Okay, so this chapter... has a very different tone than the others... At least in my opinion... Weird since I have no idea how that happened... o.O; Not to mention Sess sounds a little - well, to put it nicely yet bluntly- penis-whipped/lovestruck/OOC... take your pick. I may go back and fix that later depending on how badly you guys stone me for it... eep!

Anywho! A little prelude to their relationship, I think. Hehe. Hope you enjoyed!


	6. Onetime Friend, Always Out of Reach

_Chapter 5 recap_

"I am youkai. You are hanyou. Our roles, our lives and our destinies are vastly different. There... can be nothing more," Sesshomaru recited dejectedly.

"And companionship means nothing to you!" Inuyasha's anger finally got the best of him. Growling, he pushed Sesshomaru backwards, throwing him onto the bed fiercely.

Inuyasha pinned the startled youkai's wrists to the bedding.

_Companionship? I was,... speaking of something entirely different_... Had it been in his genes, Sesshomaru would have colored at his realization.

"Com'on! We may be past our majority but we can still hang out like we used to! Like when we wrestled! I'm older now and stronger so I'll definitely beat you!"

Inuyasha commenced with mock wrestling upon the bed trying to get his old friend to play back but to no avail. When Sesshomaru made no move to push back it only fueled the hanyou's resolution to make the demon remember him. He pushed and clawed (carefully) at the taller male's prone body, trying to grapple him into play fight.

Gods but Inuyasha had no idea what he was doing to him... The warmth his body pressing against his had confusing repercussions on Sesshomaru's body; not only did he enjoy it but he wanted to "wrestle" Inuyasha back in a manner that was highly inappropriate for either of their stations to engage in, especially together.

But that heat... the tight ache that seemed to be consuming his entire being... it was very hard to ignore... and with Inuyasha's body so close...

Sesshomaru didn't think of the punishment he would surely receive at all when he used his superior powers and switched their positions so that Inuyasha was beneath him, his own claws easily pinning the hanyou's above his head, his nose moving to scent the half-demon's neck, rubbing his cheek against the thick, hot column of flesh there... Gods, even his scent smelled divine.

He wasn't the only one that was enjoying the contact, however. He didn't miss the hitch in his lord's breath, the coloring his face took on, nor how his eyes fluttered shut and how his throat bobbed up, and it excited him.

_So submissive_...

Sesshomaru's hand moved to touch the soft skin of Inuyasha's cheek.

However when Inuyasha's breath hitched unexpectedly Sesshomaru came to his senses and pushed himself off and away from his old friend and always master.

Inuyasha sat up, eyes blinking rapidly, unsure of what exactly had just taken place.

"Wh-?"

"My apologies, I was out of line." With that said Sesshomaru pushed himself backwards, bowing lowly, eyes trained intensely on the floor. He'd felt... embarrassed. An emotion that rarely surfaced, and in his mindless embarrassment he had nearly walked right out the door spouting apologies and just wanting to get as far away as possible. He had thankfully, however, caught himself, and instead found himself bowing in defeat, uncertain of yet anticipating his sure punishment for such a blatant show of disrespect.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Onetime Friend, Always Out of Reach**

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, recalling the past day's events.

Upon his first meeting with Inuyasha it had all been one surprise after another. And then, the other servants left, and they were alone. A strange power exuded from the younger and it seemed to catch the interest of Sesshomaru's youki if the lack of control over his own emotions, feelings, and even movements was anything to go by. And then the half-demon who was to become Lord of the House one day flooded his senses when tackling him... and something inside of him had snapped.

Rationally he knew, it had been a friendly wrestling match.

Rationally, he knew, he had once enjoyed these matches in a friendly manner.

And rationally he knew now that something profound had altered between then and now for his reactions to be what they had become.

Even now, sorting through his memories of this day's past events, he still could not pin point what exactly he'd felt when he'd flipped the hanyou's body underneath his own. He had yet to comprehend what the smoldering sensation building in him meant. But what he did know, was when he became aware of himself once again.

His first thought had been to flee, to escape the punishment his once-friend, always Lord, would surely administer for the unthinkable crime of overpowering the soon to be Lord, and letting his own intellectually inferior blood overcome himself like the dirty youkai that he was. That had been his first thought, the way of thinking that he'd grown up to be taught was the right way to think.

Such words and lessons that had been taught to him... were merely, and more comparative to, spells laced within sentences to suppress his true nature. A nature that was based in, around, and through instinct. A nature ningens had labeled as inferior. Base. Animalistic. And his lessons through the years of being away from his friend had proved to be successful. Outwardly at least. Inside, a war raged between reason and instinct, or rather, what human's considered moral vs. demon heritage.

This time for Sesshomaru was no different, the fight he endured and struggled with... yet this time, was even stronger within him.

Yes, human-taught thought was the first thing that entered his mind when he came to after having pinned the half-demon prince beneath him. The second taking over in the blink of an eye, was instinct.

And that instinct told him to not apologize. To not back down from something none with rational minds would have. For even humans, mortal as they were, also fell upon their initial instincts in such moments, just as demons did. Though it was probably no surprise that demons, unless broken of, or rather altered of that train of thought and process, relied heavily on, and initially were, instinctive beings. Many would always wonder whether that was because of the animal forms their other half was, or whether it was due to their immortal half.

No human knew, nor did they care to. Save a handful that secretly held a kindness in them for such mysterious, hindered beings. Or so Sesshomaru's father had continued to remind him.

Sesshomaru sighed, looking out the servant quarter's open shoji, up into a bright, moonlit night, this being one of the only time he could truly be at peace with the things around him, but more importantly content with himself.

His thoughts, though they often drifted periodically from the subject, always seemed to find their way back to one particular being, one particular topic which could never be ignored.

Inuyasha.

The young hanyou had merely stared at him after Sesshomaru had pushed away spouting his apologies for having overstepped his boundaries. Never once between bowing his head to the floor and awaiting a punishment that would surely cause more pain than any other he'd endured over the years due to the giver, to probably even at present was he able to comprehend why the younger male had done what he did.

Sesshomaru had expected a punishment.

A quick kick, or two, to his head or stomach, maybe even his neck. A chosen word of subjugation that would put him in his place. Harsh words. Even a call to the guards surely outside the room to take him away from the hanyou prince's presence...

None of those happened though. Not a single one.

Instead the next thing he knew he was on his back, hands above his head and a goofy smiling, boyish face laughing above his own stunned one.

"Hah! Pinned ya again!" Inuyasha had then said next.

Sesshomaru could only blink in confusion before his mind caught up with what had just transpired. And, instead of the ache instinct and thought usually caused within his head, Sesshomaru found he was merely content with the rather unanticipated outcome, simply relaxing his eyes, yet never once mirroring the face with looked down at him with such unearned adoration.

"By the way," Inuyasha's voice had then infiltrated the youkai's musings, catching his immediate attention. "You're it!"

And with that, the hanyou who would be Lord ran out through his shoji which led to the gardens, guffawing all the way. The demon stared after his retreating form for a while, wondering exactly what he was suppose to do in such a situation. He was an attendant, he attended to the needs of his superior, which in this case was young Lord Inuyasha, and by way of that, sought to please and gather that which was desired. But as he'd been taught, "things desired" meant tangible objects, such as soaps, towels, dressings, bed linens and other such daily needs that the Royals asked for. This was... definitely not something he was taught to attend to. Yet... if this was what his frie- _Young Lord_- desired, to play... tag... then it was his duty to see that the game was to every bit of Inuyasha's satisfaction, wasn't it?

Confused between reason and that which he was taught, Sesshomaru sat up, staring intensely at nothing in particular as he tried to grasp some semblance of an answer.

So caught up in his thoughts he didn't realize the door from the corridor leading into and through the palace had been opened, light feet barely making a sound as they tapped against the wood flooring.

"Aren't you going to follow after him?" a voice had said.

Sesshomaru was standing before the question had even been asked fully, his position one of defense before realizing who it was and pulling back into a more acceptable role of servant.

"My, my, Sesshomaru, what if I'd been a guard, or that nasty mother of our little Lord's?" the other occupant of the room teased, pulling a face as he walked around the prone, yet somehow proud-looking, demon.

"Hmph," Sesshomaru snorted through his nose. "Watch your mouth about our Lady. You may hold some ridiculous and fabricated vendetta against her, but I do not. Don't slant her name in my presence again, Toshiru."

The other snickered, covering his face as a woman would with her fan. Toshiru's dark lashes, framed by equally midnight dark tresses, perfectly accentuated his mischievous nature. "Truly your father's son, I see. In any case, are you following our child-Lord?"

Sesshomaru growled lowly, staring out into the gardens and not bothering to turn his eyes toward his... comrade.

"What?" Toshiru asked. "That's what he is. Nearly time for him to become Lord of an entire section of this Island and he's running off to play tag like he was just a child."

That had done it. Sesshomaru rounded on his friend, eyes narrowed and mouth flattened into a thin line. With one hand and to the eye of any mortal, the youkai looked as if he merely nudged his friend in the chest. But upon initial contact of hand to chest and beyond... that was hardly the case.

Toshiru flew backwards into the wall, a crash inevitable with his impact. Even with one line of blood dripping down the side of his mouth, he still grinned mischievously up at Sesshomaru. "I've always admired that strength of yours. Even in regards to youkai you are freakishly strong. I fear and look forward to the day some fool of a mortal gets on your bad side."

"Tch. You are far too-"

"What the hell's going on?" came a new voice into the demon's conversation, the owner clicking in Sesshomaru's head the moment he spoke.

It was instinct that made him turn his head to the side to see Inuyasha standing their in the open shoji, looking fiercely, and rather suspiciously, at the two youkai in his personal quarters, and it was human-taught thought that made him kneel and bow his head the next moment.

"Sessr- Sesshomaru? What the hell just happened?" Inuyasha asked, seemingly incensed. "And who the hell are you?" he jerked his head toward the newcomer with dark hair, dark eyes and an entirely too inappropriate state of dress for any man to be seen in public wearing, never mind a Royal's personal chambers.

"Oh, young Lord, this is entirely my fault. I came looking for this servant-"

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha stated without thought.

"I'm sorry, my Lord?" Toshiru asked, not understanding the sudden use of Sesshomaru's name.

"His name. Is. Sesshomaru. Not Servant. You, on the other hand, seem by far more deserving of that title if you can't even introduce yourself before bleedin' all over my floor," Inuyasha said evenly.

Toshiru's lip curled before it began quivering; it took all his strength not to let the grin tugging on the sides of his mouth to break past his grasp. What a feisty little Lord they had, indeed. And it seemed the honored hanyou was as equally protective of his once friend, always servant as the other was of him.

Interesting, indeed.

"My apologies, my Lord," Toshiru said, bowing. "I go by the name Toshiru, 3rd servant quarters, household duty enforcer."

Silence followed for a while.

"You can stop bowing," Inuyasha said before adding, "So you're basically everyone else's babysitter, huh? So you just, what, watch people do work all day and sit there?"

Toshiru barely managed to (rather poorly) disguise his snicker as a tight sneeze. "In a manner of speaking, my Lord, yes. I have the task of checking every area of the Household, and by way of that, every servant in service in that particular area, to make sure they are carrying out their duties to their intended expectations."

"Hm," Inuyasha murmured in thought as he walked over to his futon he took a seat. "What happens if the duty isn't up to your standards?"

"Permission to speak a bit more boldly, my Lord?"

Inuyasha nodded to the request.

"The standards have only become second nature to me, my Lord, as they are your family's standards in which we follow. And should a servant not meet the Household's expectations of duties servants are to perform on a daily basis, they are obviously punished to the extent of the expectations lacking."

This seemed to have caught Inuyasha's attention. "What?"

"Should a servant not meet-"

"I heard you! What I meant was, what exactly do you mean when you said, 'punished to the extent of the expectations lacking'? And punished, how?" the hanyou prince was standing once again.

"Permission to stand, my Lord?" Toshiru asked. Inuyasha grunted. "Permission to... explain with not being hit for answer your Lord's inquiry?"

Sesshomaru's stance for the first time, and without permission, changed a second after his friend had uttered that. "You are out of line, Shi!" the dog youkai hissed quietly, so quietly he doubted and hoped Inuyasha would not hear. But with the surprised look the hanyou prince gave him... he apparently had. Though it seemed to have had little to no affect on his decision in agreeing to the disrespectful request the dark haired youkai had made.

"Yeah, yeah. Answer the question."

Inuyasha didn't notice it, but Sesshomaru did; the very slight quirk of Toshiru's lips. Whatever he was about to say, the dark-haired, wolf demon was going to enjoy the outcome. And from personal experience, anything Toshiru enjoyed... never boded well for anyone but Toshiru.

"Thank you, my Lord. To answer your first question, should a servant not adequately finish his or her assigned duty they are punished for the part of that duty that they did not accomplish. An... example of this might be something like..."

Toshiru's eyes flicked over to Sesshomaru, the white-haired demon instantly going tense, not liking the look in the other's dark orbs at all.

"A certain servant, no servant in particular... so we'll call him "Ruffledfeathers"... had the duty of tidying up a Royal's personal bedchambers, gathering the day's laundry and taking it to the Boiler, a nickname the servants have given the rather cramped cave that is home to some of the hottest natural springs in the West, before going back to the Royal's personal chambers to see if there is any other laundry or areas to be cleaned, and then returning to finish the laundry, returning it and retiring for the evening. Should our dear Ruffledfeathers not go back to the Boiler to retrieve the first load of laundry in the time he is permitted and expected to accomplish his duty, should he... _forget_, we'll say, it is adequate enough proof in lacking in his duty, and therefore punishable."

Toshiru paused, taking in his audience. The young Lord was merely staring at him intensely, silently waiting for him to continue with his explanation and answer to the second question, while Sesshomaru looked tense, rigid and uneasy. Excellent.

"Because Ruffledfeathers forgot to complete his duty his punishment is imminent, thus because of the nature of the remaining part of his chore he so irresponsibly neglected to finish, his punishment fits... his crime, I suppose is good way to put it."

The young Lord's eyes were narrowed and trained on him still, daring him to continue. It was a request he could barely not grant such an opportune guest.

"Ruffledfeathers' punishment, obviously, will be a little dip in the Boiler's springs for only the sufficient amount of time that it takes to learn his lesson, of course. I hope that answers your questions fully, my Lord," Toshiru finished, having to bow in order to hide the cruel curl of his mouth.

"I take it you're the one to decide how long a... 'sufficient amount of time' is?" Inuyasha said, eyes still trained on the bowing demon.

"Sometimes I am given that task, yes, my Lord. However, I am but the one that makes sure jobs are being done, and should they not be, I take the unruly being to the 2nd servant quarters, where they are handed over to the one that usually administers the punishment suggested."

"I see," Inuyasha said. Golden eyes flicked over to his friend noticing that his posture still had not relaxed. "You're dismissed," he then said to Toshiru without averting his gaze.

"Yes, my Lord. If I could possibly have this serv- Sesshomaru, accompany me to my next destination, we will take our leave of you and let you rest for the remainder of the da-" Toshiru began.

"Denied."

Toshiru, and even Sesshomaru, paused in surprise.

"My Lord? Surely you're tired from today's studies to be burdened with-"

"Tell me, _Tacky_-" Inuyasha began.

"Toshiru, my Lord."

"I don't care," the half-demon Royal waved his claws dismissively. "Tell me, what happens to those who have the duty of making sure other's are accomplishing their duties when they in fact... are not?" Inuyasha began walking toward Toshiru slowly, eyes narrowed and focused intently.

Sesshomaru, while having been tense at the thought of what Toshiru had been referring to, was now in complete astonishment with the abrupt change Inuyasha seemed to have taken. From a young, child-Lord that wanted to wrestle his old friend, to a well-versed, diplomatic prince that saw through malicious games in such a short span... the half-demon would never cease to amaze him it seemed, not then, and certainly not now.

"I-" the dark-haired demon stumbled verbally, for the first time he was unsure of the situation he'd gotten himself into. Unconsciously he took a step back every three steps his Lord took.

"Do you think it'd be fair to say that when those who enforce others yet are neglecting their own job and actually lacking discipline themselves, to merely antagonize a peer... Do you think it'd be fair for someone in a higher position to pronounce discipline on the one in question? It'd be quite the parallel; Lord to enforcer, and enforcer to his peers."

Toshiru's face had finally evaporated to solid understanding as the his back hit the wall and Inuyasha stood directly in front of him. Though the same height, the hanyou somehow towered over him, his fierce aura adding to the intimidation and threatening promise he resolved to achieve should a certain boundary ever be breached again.

"Just in case ya don't understand _exactly_ what I'm saying, I'll say it once more, in easier terms for your brain to grasp," Inuyasha said slowly, a clawed hand coming out of nowhere and attaching itself to Toshiru's slender neck. The half-demon prince leaned in, blatantly eying the column that connected head to body. "I will rip out your goddamned throat if you ever think to make up some lameass bullshit that'd get someone I call a friend into trouble, specially the kind you seem to be apart of. Does that make sense? Yeah? Good." Inuyasha pressed his claws harder into Toshiru's neck, leaving lightly bleeding pin pricks, before pushing away in disgust. "Now get the hell out of my sight."

Toshiru's mouth started twitching again, but this time for entirely different reasons and with entirely different emotions playing across his eyes.

"Yes. My Lord," the ookami said tightly, obeying. As he was about to slide the shoji closed behind him, Inuyasha called out.

"By the way, Tacky, I hope you realize that I'm pretty well acquainted with all four servant quarters, and consider the household servants as some of my closest friends. You'd be smart to remember that. Dismissed."

The soft snarl the wolf emitted did not go undetected.

But neither did the chortle Inuyasha let out after it.

* * *

Author's Note: Nyahhh. So... more than likely this will be the last chapter for a while (need to put some focus into finishing at least one of my other fics, particularly PLCC, DIF and Guardian since those are the closest ones to being done). But it was the longest one to date! 3,000 something words! hoozah!

Hope you all enjoyed!


	7. The Servant Become Bodyguard

_Chapter 6 recap:_

"So we've established that it'd be fair for someone in a higher position to pronounce discipline on one below him. With that said, and by those standards, it'd then be fair if you were to think of the ranks, and take it up a few notches... where the Lord was the enforcer to the servant enforcer, just as the one who enforces servants is to those that serve."

Toshiru's face had finally evaporated to solid understanding as the his back hit the wall and Inuyasha stood directly in front of him. Though the same height, the hanyou somehow towered over him, his fierce aura adding to the intimidation and threatening promise he resolved to achieve should a certain boundary ever be breached again.

"Just in case ya don't understand _exactly_ what I'm saying, I'll say it once more, in easier terms for your brain to grasp," Inuyasha said slowly, a clawed hand coming out of nowhere and attaching itself to Toshiru's slender neck. The half-demon prince leaned in, blatantly eying the column that connected head to body. "I will rip out your goddamned throat if you ever think to make up some lameass bullshit that'd get someone I call a friend into trouble, specially the kind you seem to be apart of. Does that make sense? Yeah? Good." Inuyasha pressed his claws harder into Toshiru's neck, leaving lightly bleeding pin pricks, before pushing away in disgust. "Now get the hell out of my sight."

Toshiru's mouth started twitching again, but this time for entirely different reasons and with entirely different emotions playing across his eyes.

"Yes. My Lord," the ookami said tightly, obeying. As he was about to slide the shoji closed behind him, Inuyasha called out.

"By the way, Tacky, I hope you realize that I'm pretty well acquainted with all four servant quarters, and consider the household servants as some of my closest friends. You'd be smart to remember that. Dismissed."

The soft snarl the wolf emitted did not go undetected.

But neither did the chortle Inuyasha let out after it.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Servant Become Bodyguard**

_RUN!_ he thought frantically as he watched the small child stand frozen before three large, wild youkai. Their eyes glowed red as they appraised their catch, licking their frothy lips.

The child's eyes were huge, never once daring to blink as he continued to stand there as if a deer that had just noticed a predator in its midst. Terror trembled throughout his small limbs, completely immobilizing him not only physically but mentally as well.

_Don't just stand there, _**run**_ you fool!_ He knew the child before him could sense the difference between these demons and the ones the boy had grown up around within the castle.

While the ones that served in his home were docile and polite, these youkai were rogues, ones which the royal ningen referred to when deciphering between "bound demons" and "wild" ones. Rogues were even more ill thought of than bound ones, for they answered to _no_ master and ran around the lands illegally, no collars restricting their actions whatsoever. They were usually uncouth, homely, deranged,... _free_ creatures. Wild - and detested for that fact - though they were, they were also envied by many a Bounded.

"Caged", is what his father told him the wild ones called those who answered to humans, those who wore collars around some part of their bodies. "While humans detest those of our kind that run wild, we envy their freedom. And while we envy the rogues, they see us as weak and deserving of our imprisonment."

"Ridiculous," a smaller version of himself had said then in response. "How are we weak, when it's them who run wild with no purpose in life?"

His father just smiled down at him sadly, patting the young child's head.

A scream broke the memory within a memory, and all attention was once more focused on the small boy as the demons descended up on him!

He tore from his disembodied position in the background, racing toward the child without thought. In a flurry of movement and yells, the beasts were slain, their blood staining his hands, his chest puffing. A small sound caught his attention and he turned around claws still raised as he blinked curiously at the child behind him.

The aching choke the other made as their eyes connected tore at his own heart...

For his face and expression, as he glanced at his reflection in the boy's eyes, was just as dangerous and horrifying as any rogues was, his neck completely free of any collar, his eyes having bled red.

And suddenly the beast within him churned at the delicious smell of the child, and he growled, his youki threatening to overwhelm him as he took a step forward against his own will.

_NO!_ he yelled at himself, trying to reign control of his body but to no avail, he still stalked forward awkwardly, his bloodied hand still pulled back to strike as his eyes gleamed in the moonlight...

"Sesshomaru... _please_..." the boy pleaded, gulping and closing his eyes. Tears streamed down the sides of his face.

Sesshomaru's claws glowed green, the poison that dripped from his fingertips hissing, before he brought them slashing down with a snarling _howl-!_

Sesshomaru woke with a start, eyes wide and unfocused, having torn into the one meager sheet he had adorning his cot. Cold sweat covered his body as he sat there staring at a bare wall for what felt like hours before he realized where he was, that he'd been dreaming...

Only after his sight returned to him did he also realize the position his claws were in. Raised, as if to strike at the air in front of him.

A flash of that face made his heart lurch and he quickly dropped his arm, his other hand coming to grip at his pounding chest.

_A dream, it was just... a dream_, he thought as his body caught up with his mind.

These dreams, they kept coming to him more frequently, ever since his reunion with the hanyou prince, ever since the incident where Inuyasha had reprimanded Toshiru. Tormented yet thankful for their reinstated friendship, the young lord and he had slowly but surely grown closer over the course of a couple months.

The prince's mother was still away from the castle, and while Inuyasha had confided to his youkai friend that he missed her, he'd also admitted that he was grateful for the time alone. It seemed the half-demon appreciated separation not only to learn what it would be like to rule (without her influence standing behind him), but also because he had a feeling she wouldn't be entirely happy with how he was spending the majority of his days after his initial lectures.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes at the memory of a few weeks ago when the young lor- when _Inuyasha_- mentioned with careful ease that his mother kept a fairly strict "leash" on him when it came to who he spent his time with. The half-demon didn't need to specify that his Lady Mother did nothing to encourage any sort of camaraderie with the help- especially the ones of youkai blood- unless it was to give an order.

And while this bit of knowledge should have shrouded his heart, Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel... somewhat relieved (though none would be the wiser to this, nor the secret smile it caused), because it meant their reunited relationship was becoming more comfortable for both of them.

Which is why the demon wasn't entirely shocked when he was brought back to a memory from earlier that day when a rather new feeling crawled up his spine at the first glance he caught of Inuyasha as he tried to inconspicuously (well, as inconspicuously as a prince could) waltz in to the dining hall for breakfast, covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises of varying colors and sizes.

While it was surprise and a hint of fear that made Sesshomaru's instincts pound, what had caught his attention way before the sight of the rather minor wounds was actually the _smell_ of them. They were fresh. Not even an entire day old.

Sesshomaru had set his face, impassive and professional as ever while going about his duties of serving the morning meal.

However, as soon as the prince finished filling his belly, and took his leave from the hall (as well as relieving Sesshomaru of his cleaning duties that morning to "tag along" with him to the young lord's chambers) he began to devise a plan of how to go about inquiring about the injuries. Once both were safely within Inuyasha's private rooms and away from subtly attentive ears, the demon figuratively pounced on his charge.

Though it took a bit of working up to for him to actually commence with said figurative pouncing.

Sesshomaru stood in front of the closed doors as Inuyasha sat down, reading a letter from his mother leisurely (meaning he skimmed through the mushy parts with a pinched expression adorning his face). The youkai continued to stare, a determined expression plastered over his usually blank face until the prince was finished reading. As the half-demon started to put the letter away he accidentally nicked his palm.

"_Tch_," the hanyou cursed at the letter in his now bleeding hand. A hand which was instantly enveloped by slightly larger, more lethal looking ones.

Inuyasha looked up at Sesshomaru as the demon went on to tend to his paper cut with a medical kit. A smile slowly lit the prince's face as he watched how intense the older male looked while handling his hand so tenderly. He snorted despite the situation as his friend to look up to see if he'd accidentally hurt him somehow.

The demon was dismayed at the laughter the prince held on his face, and thought nothing of his next actions due to circumstance; the time, place, and population that were within the vicinity dictated the degree they were allowed to act more themselves with one another. Which is why Sesshomaru asked rather bluntly, "Why are you laughing?"

"Hahaha, I'm sorry, it's just... ahahaha...you're... taking such care on one tiny scratch, something the majority of people would just suck on until it stopped bleeding. And here you are, treating it with a household medical kit like it was a gaping wound. It's just... endearing, I guess," Inuyasha said, trying his best to reign in his laughter but lost in the end as his words apparently made no sense to his friend if his put off look was anything to go on.

Crinkling his brow, Sesshomaru mentally agreed that perhaps he was being a bit too overcautious and decided to take the unintended advice given. With a firm nod to his next course of action the youkai pulled the minor injury to his mouth and attached his lips over the soft slit of skin, occasionally sucking or stroking it with his tongue.

"S-S-Sessho-...R-Ru, what..." the half-demon gasped, eyes transfixed on the mouth firmly fastened to his palm. While one of Sesshomaru's hands held Inuyasha's hand in place, the other rubbed circles around the prince's wrist with the pad of his thumb in a soothing motion.

When the demon was finished, he kept the prince's hand upturned, motioning for his friend to look at his palm.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. The cut, while small yet red from the tear the paper caused, suddenly began to close up, the redness all but dissipating to the color of the flesh around it. Inuyasha touched it, as if his eyes had somehow deceived him.

They hadn't.

The cut had completely disappeared.

"What just happened...?" the hanyou asked, still rubbing across his palm in disbelief and intrigue. All the while looking up at the youkai before him. "Was that a... a youkai thing?"

Sesshomaru regarded him with a critical stare but decided to answer as best he could. "I am unsure as to whether all youkai have this ability. However, I come from a line that have regenerative capabilities within our saliva. I suppose it's..." the demon trailed off, contemplating something.

"...it's what?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

Sesshomaru's expression changed from open to closed off. Something the hanyou wasn't used to seeing when it was just the two of them.

"Nothing. How did you get all these cuts and bruises?" Sesshomaru asked, changing the subject as he ran the pads of his fingers softly over the visible wounds along Inuyasha's arm. It wouldn't do to dwell on something that could not be helped. Demons, after all, were merely property, regardless that the capabilities they possessed leaned more toward that of survival were they free to live like a human. To roam free where they wished.

"Ahh.. I was sort of hoping you wouldn't notice," Inuyasha admitted, biting his lip. His eyes fluttered shut briefly at the nice sensation the stroking caused.

"It was hard not to. I could smell them before I even set eyes on them. They're relatively fresh. Not even half a day old. What happened, Inuyasha."

It was not a question, so much as a demand; something neither of them would think twice on. Their stations mattered little when one or the other was injured in some way. And when they were together they were on equal ground as far as they were concerned; no one else's opinion, not even the race of man, and the law they set to divide human and demonkind, would stand between the bond they shared.

So a simple demand of concern was never an issue.

"I was actually wanting to talk to you about it." The half-demon looked away sheepishly.

"Go on," Sesshomaru prompted.

"Well, you know how my mother won't allow me to train with anyone that has a backbone and actually wants me to know how to handle myself in battle should one ever arise?" The demon nodded, skeptical of the reason to come. "Well, I found one. An instructor, that is. One that's teaching me about combat, the only one I've ever had that truly seems to want to train me to be ready for war, or even to just protect myself. And he's not like the other guys I've had teach me, he's not intimidated or too scared of hurting me when we spar if it's what makes me stronger. And-"

The hanyou went on talking about his teacher, all the while Sesshomaru became more and more uncomfortable with what he was hearing but otherwise remained silent through Inuyasha's praises of his instructor.

"-So will you?"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly as he had not been paying attention, too engrossed in his own thoughts of how he could keep his friend safe. He was skeptical of this teacher Inuyasha spoke of so proudly. Not all instructors had the best of intentions, and the ones that came to the castle to train were usually shady men with ulterior motives, from greed to revenge to dark, indecent things.

"I'm... unsure whether I... would be able to..." the demon chose his words carefully.

"_Com'on!_ No one will mind, and I'll even tell the guards to not give you trouble so you can pass them without repercussion, just please come watch me train!"

Train? Was he even allowed to do such a thing? To partake in the viewing of the young lord's training? A servant?

"I don't think it's wise for me to leave the barracks to merely watch you train. I have chores to accomplish, and I need to help with meals among other things. Servants aren't allowed to view a royal's training anyway, Inuyasha."

"You won't need to worry about that. Like I said, I'll let the guards know you're okay to walk over. If they give you any crap let me know and I'll handle it. Besides, you're not a servant, Ru, you're my friend. But just so you don't have a heart attack or something, why don't you come to my training tonight after the main house has turned in for the evening? That's when our trainings usually are."

"In the evening?" the demon repeated, slightly put off.

"Yeah, my teacher prefers to work with me after hours in the old dojo just outside the east wall. It's always just him and me, so you really don't need to worry about getting in trouble or something since it'll only be us there."

"Do the guards not even inquire about the sound of fighting?"

"Nah, I told them the first few times that if they bothered me again while training- no matter what they heard- that I'd send place them on barn duty. They didn't think involving themselves unnecessarily was worth that. At least, not unless I sounded like something wasn't right. They stay at their posts and otherwise know to keep their mouths shut. Mostly cause if word got out to my mother... Well, while she wants me to become the best ruler I can, she wouldn't exactly approve of my sensei's teaching methods, heh."

Sesshomaru's frown deepened. He did not like the sound of it at all; training after hours? When no other was around, save teacher and pupil? The demon's eyes narrowed slightly, but could not deny a request the young lord had given, especially when it wasn't a demand or order.

Giving a slight nod, Sesshomaru gave his acceptance of the invitation.

Even now, coming back to the present from that memory of earlier that morning, the youkai was weary of his decision, or rather, weary of the implications of what Inuyasha had told him. He was mildly surprised that he was able to complete his chores as swiftly as he had, what with how preoccupied his mind had become, never mind how anxious he was as the day progressed towards nightfall.

However, as the evening came he found the guards had been made aware of his invite to the dojo tonight and had arranged for an escort to the outskirts of the castle where they left him to his own devices to find his way inside the dojo beyond the palace's walls.

As he approached the facility he could easily make out the sharp sound of bamboo swords clashing rhythmically, his initial instincts perking as his rational mind soothed the shock, remembering he shouldn't be overly concerned of danger. It was after all only a training session.

That was in the dead of night.

With no guards anywhere near the building.

The only two people occupying the old dojo being the crowned prince and his teacher.

Sesshomaru exhaled, nerves frayed but otherwise under impressive control.

At least until he heard a loud crash against a wall of the dojo as he came through the first entrance. He stopped immediately, long elfish ears wiggling slightly at the tips, straining to hear every movement he could catch. The impact he'd heard sounded almost like someone had been thrown against it, like-

Sesshomaru's breath nearly caught when his brain finally recognized the sound that had accompanied the thud, the sound of a pained moan from a certain hanyou prince. The demon quickened his pace down the hallway to the inner room's entrance. He tried to catch a scent that would tell him whether the young lord was hurt or not, but all he got was a nose full of incense that was customary to burn during practice in this area of the continent.

Before Sesshomaru made it to the doorway, he heard another sharp thud against the dojo wall. As he looked around the corner into the training room, he had to will himself to remain stationary as he took in the defeated hanyou inside lying against the far wall.

Inuyasha's mask was off but he was otherwise dressed up in protective gear, hunched over himself. He spit blood onto the floor before his voice wheeze out, "Damnit, that hurt."

Sesshomaru's pulse jumped as he noticed Inuyasha suddenly tense, readying his sword; that's when the youkai noticed the other geared warrior, whom he presumed was the young prince's sensei.

The male was clad in the same armor as Inuyasha, the whiskered mask being the only difference between their garments. The teacher charged at the unprepared youth then, and Sesshomaru had to yet again restrain himself to not make his presence known as Inuyasha fended off the attack rather impressively for a few minutes. Sesshomaru took the sight in with pride and admiration.

Only when Inuyasha's wrist seemed to give out did that look of pride turn into concern. The half-demon's sensei used that slight window of opportunity to knock Inuyasha's sword out of his hand, the impact causing them to jump away from one another.

Inuyasha gripped his wrist; the pain evident on his face as he held his ground despite having lost his sword. The teacher began to charge once more with intent to finish the fight, which had been the final straw that had held Sesshomaru in place.

In silent fury, the demon servant turned self-appointed protector practically flew over to the prince, grabbing the fallen sword along his way and blocking the teacher's finishing blow at nearly the last moment.

The clash, and who had blocked his final attack, seemed to take the teacher by surprise as he went rigid suddenly, not having sensed another in the dojo besides the prince and himself, before backing away cautiously the next moment. The instructor seemed to think on something momentarily before trying again to go for the prince from a different angle.

His attempt was unsuccessful, and a low growl and fierce look was the only outcome. Another silent moment passed in contemplation before the instructor once more tried to go for the prince, but this time with a different strategy in mind.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed further, completely enraged that the other would still continue to threaten what he was obviously protecting after the first two defeats. And when the attack came yet again he blocked it just as easily as the others, but this time progressed with a dual attack on the teacher.

With a swift kick to the side of the geared sensei's head, Sesshomaru managed to knock off the protective mask as the velocity of his strike with his sword shattered the bamboo sword the other held. The power of the assault propelled both of them backwards to a safer locale in the dojo, Sesshomaru immediately recovering to stand defensively in front of Inuyasha once more as the teacher on the other side of the room remained on the floor, head down as he cradled it from the massive blow.

"_Sesshomaru!_" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing Sesshomaru by the elbow. His eyes widened in confusion when he saw the serious look the demon turned on him, a look that seemed to scold him for even being here to train... The hanyou shook his head clear. "What the _hell_ was that for?"

Sesshomaru's face contorted at the underlying reprimand, his skin crawling with defensive anger, as his glare changed back to this so-called great sensei that had the nerve to...- The youkai froze; everything from his expression to his movements ceased, the shock so paralyzing that he nearly dropped the kendo sword he held in front of him.

"Sensei! Are you okay? Did he-" Inuyasha began to say, but trailed off the moment he heard Sesshomaru gravely whisper behind him.

"...Father?"

* * *

Author's Note: Yeah. That just happened. Hoozah.


	8. Faith in the Reason

_Chapter 7 recap:_

Inuyasha and his sensei had been sparring... but in one wrong move, the hanyou prince had injured his wrist, the pain evident on his face as he held his ground despite having lost his sword. The teacher began to charge once more with intent to finish the fight, which had been the final straw that had held Sesshomaru in place.

In silent fury, the demon servant turned self-appointed protector practically flew over to the prince, grabbing the fallen sword along his way and blocking the teacher's finishing blow at nearly the last moment.

The clash, and who had blocked his final attack, seemed to take the teacher by surprise as he went rigid suddenly, not having sensed another in the dojo besides the prince and himself, before backing away cautiously the next moment. The instructor seemed to think on something momentarily before trying again to go for the prince from a different angle.

His attempt was unsuccessful, and a low growl and fierce look was the only outcome. Another silent moment passed in contemplation before the instructor once more tried to go for the prince, but this time with a different strategy in mind.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed further, completely enraged that the other would still continue to threaten what he was obviously protecting after the first two defeats. And when the attack came yet again he blocked it just as easily as the others, but this time progressed with a dual attack on the teacher.

With a swift kick to the side of the geared sensei's head, Sesshomaru managed to knock off the protective mask as the velocity of his strike with his sword shattered the bamboo sword the other held. The power of the assault propelled both of them backwards to a safer locale in the dojo, Sesshomaru immediately recovering to stand defensively in front of Inuyasha once more as the teacher on the other side of the room remained on the floor, head down as he cradled it from the massive blow.

"_Sesshomaru!_" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing Sesshomaru by the elbow. His eyes widened in confusion when he saw the serious look the demon turned on him, a look that seemed to scold him for even being here to train... The hanyou shook his head clear. "What the _hell_ was that for?"

Sesshomaru's face contorted at the underlying reprimand, his skin crawling with defensive anger, as his glare changed back to this so-called great sensei that had the nerve to...- The youkai froze; everything from his expression to his movements ceased, the shock so paralyzing that he nearly dropped the kendo sword he held in front of him.

"Sensei! Are you okay? Did he-" Inuyasha began to say, but trailed off the moment he heard Sesshomaru gravely whisper behind him.

"...Father?"

* * *

**Chapter 8: Faith in the Reason**

Inuyasha's eyes were huge at the soft proclamation that Sesshomaru had uttered when his sensei had removed his mask in surrender.

Inuyasha's mind strained to grasp the concept of coincidence. _N-No way..._

Just as he was about to question what his friend had said moments ago he found he couldn't, not with the look Ru held.

He would not bring further anxiety to his friend now, he thought determinedly. With a resigned sigh he made a mental note instead to speak with him about it the coming day, and somewhat unwillingly decided the best course of action right now was to excuse himself for the night, leaving his sensei and... son... to speak privately.

"Sesshomaru," his father said, trying to engage the young demon in conversation as the other refused to speak to him after the prince had left the dojo.

Sesshomaru walked passed his father as he readied to retire back to their barracks. His demon side easily, if not harshly, overriding the human servitude that had been instilled in him ever since he could remember. He was glad Inuyasha had left when he did; he'd rather not have the young master see him like this. See him for what he was... a demon that could become so icy, so frigid and unyielding when betrayal and protection came into play.

As he walked toward the exit of the dojo his father's hand landed on his shoulder. Sesshomaru stiffened. Not out of fear or uncertainty, but out of anger. The audacity his father held after everything that had happened moments ago...

Without warning Sesshomaru pivoted sharply to the right, bringing his claws down in a swiping motion, claws sizzling.

The shot missed of course, as his father was by far more advanced in his fighting skills than he, but at least the action would warn the elder to not push things now. And with that he walked out of the dojo and back to the servant barracks without so much as a glance back.

* * *

The night had been quiet, and for all intents and purposes rather foreboding as well. Even in sleep, his son seemed to give off a rather... aggressive aura.

Inutaishou sighed, thankful that he woke before his pup and could get his morning chores done without the angry glower that was sure to follow the other around like a shadow for however long a duration he saw fit.

Filling up some buckets with water, the dog demon maneuvered himself into one of the more prominent dojos on the grounds, intent on cleaning it as fast as he could. While the job itself was for him and Sesshomaru to do, he wanted to get as much done so the pup would have a little time to himself to find it in his heart (which was deep, deep, deeeep down in there somewhere) to forgive him for whatever it was he was upset about.

Inutaishou stared at the job ahead of him, sighing once more and pulling out one of the mops to begin on the floor. Only when he heard the squeak of another mop did he turn around, wondering if his moody child had forgiven him.

Only to do a near double take at the being moping the floor on his hands and knees with a mere rag in his grip.

"What do you think you're doing," he blurted without thinking.

"What's it look like? I'm helping clean."

"Young master, you know there are servants for these very tasks," Inutaishou held back his grin.

"What? You got a problem with me helping you out? I'm doing it of my own free will, ya know. Besides..." Inuyasha said, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. "I remember you mentioning something about your son usually helping in the mornings with cleaning this place. And seeing as he's not here for whatever reason..."

Ah, so that was why, Inutaishou thought, chuckling to himself as he continued to mop, letting the young lord do what he wished to. "Yes, he's a bit... upset with me, I suppose."

"Because of what happened last night?"

Inutaishou nodded as he continued to mop.

"I'm... well, I'll admit, I'm a bit surprised... that Ru's your son and all... I had no idea, though I guess I should have. He has your eyes after all," Inuyasha mumbled, somewhat embarrassedly.

Inutaishou paused in his cleaning, fixing the child with a curious look. "Ru?"

Inuyasha turned a pretty shade of pink. "Uh- y-yeah, that's- a nickname..."

The elder's eyes twinkled at that briefly. "Yes, I... suppose I never mentioned that my son was your childhood friend from so long ago," he went on to say offhandedly.

The hanyou's eyes bulged as he abruptly stopped washing the floor. "What! You knew and you didn't think to mention it at all since I met you!" Inuyasha stood, rounding on the old, chuckling codger. Damn him and his old, mischievous ways!

"Had I you probably wouldn't have stopped asking questions about him and then we'd have gotten no training done," the demon admitted, fairly confident in his answer.

"Psh," he grumbled to himself, choosing not to agree with the true statement. "But still..." Inuyasha started, pulling a face. "What I'm wondering, is why is Sesshomaru mad at you?"

Inutaishou gave him a strange look at that.

"What? I mean, I suppose I can make assumptions and stuff, but... he seems to be taking it a bit harder than I am. And I'm told fairly often how explosive I can be when caught off guard about things. Ru's always been the patient one between the two of us since I can remember," he trailed off thoughtfully.

Inutaishou had to turn away from the boy, his body convulzing uncontrollably as the hanyou turned a worried gaze on him as he walked over and put a hand on the other's shoulder carefully. "H-hey! Are you okay? What's wrong! Is it that old battle wound acting up again-"

And before he knew it, Inuyasha witnessed his highly esteemed sensei bursting out in rumbling chuckles. Laughter so hard that he was sure to have sore lungs after the episode passed.

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull as he blushed, wondering what the hell he had said that was so funny.

As the tongue curling laughter simmered down to a dull ache, Inutaishou finally quieted down before apologizing to the prince. "Patience and Sesshomaru aren't words I'd ever imagined anyone using in the same sentence," the elder supplied before touching his chin thoughtfully. "Unless someone said, 'Sesshomaru and patience do not mix.' Then maybe I could concede my previous statement," he chuckled again. "And he has such a temper, too. One, I think, that may even rival that of yours."

It was Inuyasha's turn to start rolling his stomach in laughter.

"Man...," the hanyou wheezed out, wiping a tear from his eye as his laughter melted away into a fond smile. "I don't think anyone has a worse temper than me!" He said grinning from ear to ear.

"In any case... I suppose he is rather upset with me right now," the elder man said softly, a sad sort of smile gracing his ruggedly handsome face. He began his chores again as they lapped into silence for a few moments.

"Is that why he's not here right now helping you?" Inuyasha asked, starting up on his scrub down of the floor.

Inutaishou hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes. I withheld the information from him, and for that he is angry. Rightfully so."

Inuyasha frowned. "No," he said. "No, it's not right."

"Young master?"

The young prince gave his sensei a pointed glare. "I told you not to call me that when we're alone."

"My apologizes... Inuyasha," Inutaishou said, a grin slipping onto his face.

"It's just... I don't think Ru should get mad at you. I mean, you're a great father from what I can see and he should know by now that whatever reason you had for not telling him about working with me was probably a damn well good one. And I bet he does know that, he's probably just too stubborn to admit it just yet," the half-demon said confidently, throwing a reassuring smile over his shoulder.

Inutaishou had by this time paused again in his work, staring in awe at the boy before him. My, how he'd grown into such a compassionate young man. He smiled fondly to himself before something nagged him in the back of his mind.

"You should watch your tongue, Inuyasha. That kind of language-"

"Lemme guess, 'would get your back tanned if you were my son,'" Inuyasha laughed, turning around to stand up. When silence greeted him, he turned around apologetically. "Yeah, I know. Mother always gets on my as-"

Inutaishou gave him a reprimanding look that would make any parent committee proud.

"Heh, I mean, she grills me whenever I use foul language. I know it's not proper and all but sometimes I don't want to be like that all the time. It's... it's just too... exhausting," he trailed off.

"Inuyasha..." Inutaishou made to take a step over to the boy when a loud yell from within the palace caught their attention.

"INUYASHAAAA!"

Inuyasha winced as the elder male blinked.

"Uhhh, whoopsie..." he said lamely.

"That was Takemaru-sama," Inutaishou said, before his tone turned critical. "Are you skipping your lessons again?"

"Well, sorta," Inuyasha gave an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to see if you were okay after last night before going... but I guess I lost track of time. Besides, that grumpy bastard only criticizes everything I do unless Mother's around for him to suck up to."

"Inuyasha."

"Alright, alright. I'm goin', I'm goin'."

As he headed out the dojo, he paused at the door.

"By the way, sensei," Inuaysha called. "Sesshomaru's really lucky to have a dad like you. I mean, if you were my dad I'd think I would be the luckiest kid to have you as a father."

The half-demon prince smiled sincerely and ran off, leaving a stupefied demon in his wake.

"Lucky..." Inutaishou said to himself, softly. "I don't think he feels that way, young one."

As he continued cleaning the floors, he failed to notice another enter the dojo.

"If that's what you think, father, then you would be wrong," came a voice from the opposite entrance that the hanyou went out.

Inutaishou snapped around, staring at his son, before his look of surprise melted into a warm smile again at the words he'd spoken.

"So, I take it you've forgiven your father?" he asked.

"I don't have much choice. Inu- _His majesty_ was correct in his assumption of me eventually realizing that you must have had a good reason for not saying anything about it," Sesshomaru answered truthfully as he stepped forward to grab a mop and bucket.

"I see."

They began work in silence, finishing the dojo chores fairly quickly with time to spare.

"Father," Sesshomaru began.

Inutaishou held up a hand as they put the cleaning supplies away and sat on the floor.

"I know what you're going to ask. And I suppose it's high time I let you know how I came to train our young lord," the elder inu sighed, looking up at the ceiling as his mind replayed the events that led to the hanyou's bold demand that he train him.

"It all started the night of the New Moon during his majesty's fifteenth year of life..."

Chapter end.

* * *

Author's Note: Deepest apologies all, been a year about if not more since I've updated this. Been in a funk being jobless for as long so you can imagine. In any case, here's an update, I know it's short but it got what point I wanted to make across. Next chapter is outlined and I'm working on it! Hope you enjoyed.


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